The invention is generally concerned with an electrical wiring system for buildings of all types, including residences, commercial establishments, factories, etc.
Conventionally, the wiring of a structure, beyond the service panel at which point power is introduced into the building, has involved the positioning of outlet or wall boxes, the running of power lines to and through the boxes, the engagement of the power lines with electrical fixtures outward of the boxes, and the mounting of the fixtures, normally with excess wire, within the boxes. As will be appreciated by one familiar with standard wiring, substantial hand work is involved in mounting and wiring the individual fixtures, particularly in systems utilizing anything other than the simplest arrangement of receptacles, switches, and the like.
There has been activity with regard to the development of systems utilizing modular components to facilitate installation, reduce wiring complexity, and the like.
However, the known systems themselves incorporate limitations as to versatility and practicality, and frequently would appear to have difficulty in complying with local and national electrical codes. For example, the requirements for accessibility, as applied to wiring methods, normally requires that the fixtures, whether switches, receptacles, or the like, be capable of removal or exposure without damage to the building structure or finish. Such accessibility in a conventional hand wired system is provided for by the common expedient of coiling excess wire within the receptacle or outlet box behind the individual fixture, a common if not particularly desirable arrangement. However, various of the systems devised to facilitate wiring in themselves give rise to problems of accessibility in particular for a variety of reasons, including an inability to easily manipulate or remove the fixture once assembled within the outlet box, and/or restricted access to the point of engagement of the wires with the fixture.
Another problem with modular systems heretofore proposed has been the limited adaptability thereof to a variety of different wiring situations, basically lacking the complete versatility of a hand wired system.